The amazing web site of
Shakespeare's Sonnets. Arms of the Undertakers, by Hogarth.

HAKESPEARE'S ONNETS

This is
part of the web site of Shakespeare's
sonnets

PICTURE
GALLERY.

William
Hogarth
1697 - 1764.

Arms
of the Undertakers 1736

The
sketch is a satire against physicians, rather than undertakers, as the
term is now understood. The suggestion is that doctors of the
day were incompetent buffoons who saw most people off to the
grave. The characters at the bottom are inspecting a urine
bottle. Many of them are sniffing their gold headed canes,
which probably contained salts or disinfectants. The figure
at bottom centre left is said to be Mrs. Mapp, a celebrated bone
setter, who wandered about the country and was known as Crazy Sally.
The figure on her right is Chevalier Taylor, a noted oculist
of the time. The figure dressed in harlequin at the top is
possibly lampooning Sir Hans Sloane, whose collection formed the
foundation of the British Museum.

William Hogarth

British Artist and Engraver

Arms of the Undertakers.

Engraving, published 1736

Source:
Hogarth's Works published by J. Dicks, 313 The Strand, London.
Circa 1880.